The A Team
by EffectivlyInLove
Summary: AU. Tragedy.  Warning, Its depressing  Toph Overdoses one day, how does her boyfriend, best friend, and other friend react? Zuatara, Taang . Rated T for self harm. Oneshot.


_The A- Team _

It was your average high school environment. We had the cliques, The Jocks, The preps, The Cheerleaders, The Social Rejects, The whack-jobs, Emos and Goths, The Ones who didn't fit it to anything else, and of course, The Stoners. The Stoners were a mix of all the cliques, but they needed something else to feel, anything really. Not the same way the Emo's did, though it ended out same as the worse. The Stoners turned to drugs. They needed that buzz, that deadly little buzz. It wasn't the same as cutting, cutting and smoking were worlds apart, but they had the same effects.

I would know. I lost my two of my best friends to both. When I found Toph, sweet little, always cracking a joke, Toph, her lips where white, and her face was paler than usual. "Toph! Can you hear me!" I started screaming and shaking her shoulders. "She has to wake up. I need her to wake up." Were my only thoughts as I shook her senseless. "Sugger queen!" Toph said sounding higher than Lindsey Lohan. "Babe, you gotta try snowflakes. But youuuu need ttttooo promise me thiisssssss, you'll watch Twinkle TOESSSS for me rrrriightt? Make surrreee he doesn't do anything too CRAY!" Toph said to me. I looked at her. Why would she do this? She was beautiful, loved by everyone, had a wonderful boyfriend, and a promising position on the school's soccer team. "Toph!" I screamed, as she began to fade out. I pulled out my phone and called 911 as quickly as possible, they were on their way. I looked at my best friend, who was dying on the floor, and I couldn't do anything for her. I hadn't even known about this until yesterday. Sure there were the occasional jokes about drugs and getting high, but, she was really doing that all along. Why hadn't Aang known, and if he did, why didn't he tell anyone? This girl on the floor couldn't be the girl I called my best friend, my sister, my other half. She always knew what I was thinking, and yet I had no idea what the hell was going on in hers. Her white lips and white as paper face, that wasn't the girl I knew. That was a girl I had never seen, in my life. The Toph Bei Fong I knew was long gone, and you could tell. The girl I knew had long black hair, and pale skin, but it was never paper colored. She was always smiling and happy, naturally. Never was she this girl with weary eyes, and probably burnt out lounges. Maybe that's why she hadn't been doing well in soccer lately, her lungs. They were burnt out, and she couldn't breathe. The police arrived at that moment and began to question me. "Did you find her like this?" "Yes, she called me and told me to come here, so I did, and she was lying on the floor looking like that." I said, looking around for a familiar face. Zuko was the chief's son, he would be there. As soon as I spotted the raven hair, I knew that Toph would get help. But then everything took a turn for the worse. Police officers walked over to her, and put a hand on her thought, were her pulse would be. His eyes grew wide and he said loudly "No pulse! Code Blue!" All of the officers swarmed around her and Zuko ran over to me. "Are you okay?" He said, trying to calm me down. "What is code blue? IS SHE GONNA LIVE? Zuko!" I said, scared to death. I threw my arms around him and began to cry. No pulse meant death. My best friend, my sister, my other half, was dead. She was dead and there was nothing I could do about it. Zuko's strong arms around me didn't help at all. I continued to sob. Why couldn't that be me dead on the floor! Why does the beautiful amazing person have to die! She had so much to live for! She was only 16 years old. She couldn't be dead. Zuko held me as I continued to cry and shake. My best friend had just overdosed. I couldn't stop her. I didn't even know she was getting high. The worse part? It only brought back memories of my mom.

My mom was an Alcoholic, and we all knew she had problems. Once Sokka and I had grown up to the point where we didn't need her every 3 seconds, she started binging. I think it really started when Grandpa died, that was her daddy after all. Sokka and I were keeping her preoccupied and taking her mind off of his death. She and Dad never had the best relationship either, but I was only three when it happened, so I don't remember most of it. Dad treated her like a queen, and she was too busy being depressed to see his existence. I do remember the big fight where nothing was held back and right before it, Mom smelt weird. All kinds of swears were throne, and Sokka and I hid in his room, trying to stay safe. A few months later Dad explained that they were getting a divorce, and that he got to keep us. As for mom, she got time in Rehab. While divorced and in rehab, Mom met some loser and he encouraged her to do drugs along with alcohol. As she overdosed, Dad brought me and Sokka to the hospital to say good bye. It's horrible to remember the fact that I don't remember what she looked like, or what the last thing she said to me was. All I remember is the fact that she is dead, and I couldn't stop it. All I have left of her now? Her blue necklace. This can't be happening to a Toph.

I was still sobbing on Zuko by the time the Ambulance came and took Toph away. Zuko who was always the gentlemen picked me up and put me in the front seat of his car. He closed the door and went to the driver side. I was still sobbing in the car. "Buckle up and we can go." He said sternly. I buckled the seat belt and Zuko began to drive, while I was still crying uncontrollably. Be the time we got to the hospital I had managed to stop crying and start blubbering at least three times. I also texted Aang to come down to the hospital right away. While we waited in the waiting room Aang burst through the door. His expression changed completely when he saw the awful state I was in. "What happened to Toph?" He said looking around for his girl. As he said that I pulled Zuko closer and began to blubber again. Zuko began to tell him what happened, without even breaking my grasp on him. As he told the story I sobbed on and on, and Once he was finished Aang had sat down and wouldn't say anything. Without thinking I grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him over for a hug. The second I touched his wrist he pulled it back as if I was on fire. His face made a pained expression, but I couldn't see it through my tears. Zuko pulled me closer to him and I kept on sobbing. At 2 in the morning Toph's parents showed up, Aang still hadn't said anything and I was still crying on a silent Zuko. It was about 7 in the morning the next day when the doctor came out of the E.R. He took her parents into the room. About an hour later, in which not any of us had moved once. Aang still hadn't said anything, and I was still crying. Zuko was trying to console me by whispering comforting things to me. Toph's dad came out and told us we could all come in. Aang basically jumped up and ran into the room. Zuko and I slowly made our way there, hand in hand. Aang kept telling Toph he loved her, and she weakly smiled looking like she understood what he was saying. After a while I walked over to the bed, Zuko right behind me, "Toph. I love you so much. You are my best friend, and I don't think I could ever make it without you. I need you" The tears came back, and really, what do you say to your dying best friend? "You are my sister; I just wish you could have told me what you were doing a while back so it wouldn't end like this. I love you Toph. Don't forget." I said as I pulled Zuko to the back of the room. I continued to cry and he continued to hold me. It was like that for an hour or so until the steady beat when flat and the horrid beep started. Signifying that Toph had died. At that point everyone in the room and broken down. Zuko, Aang, and Toph's parents were crying. Me? I was screaming and sobbing. It was something like "GOD! PLEASE TOPH, NO!" The doctor came in, and told Zuko to take me out side. "I'm sorry Babe, but you can't go back there." He said, tears still visible. He held me right beside the door, and we both cried. Soon Toph's body was taken out of the room, the white sheet over her face. Aang had disappeared and I began to worry about him.

I was still crying as Zuko drove me home that day. "Zuko, did you see the way Aang reacted when I touched his wrist?" I asked through the tears. Zuko sniffled a little and looked over at me "Yeah. He flinched as if he was hurt." He said not rubbing his tears away. He had always had a soft spot for Toph, and hell, who didn't? "You don't think he's… suicidal… do you?" I asked concerned for the kid I thought as my little brother. Zuko's eyes grew wide and he stopped the car. "DAMMIT." He swore loudly, as if he had just remembered something. "He used to cut remember! Back in 8th and freshmen year, and once a cutter always a cutter." He said angrily. "ZUKO! DO SOMETHING!" I screamed, scared for that kid. He started the car and began to drive in the direction of Aangs house. Once we got their Zuko jumped out of his car and straight for the front door. They kept a spare key under the mat, and he grabbed it. He unlocked the door and ran straight to Aangs room. "AANG!" He screamed looking for his best friend. "DON'T YOU DARE!" Once he got to Aang's room all he found was a note. "Zuk- I knew you'd look for me. I'm at the cliffs. And if you don't find me there, someone will find me at the bottom. I can't bear to live without my princess, and I'm sorry. This is the only way. Tell 'Tara I love her as my sister, and that she shouldn't be afraid to live. She'll know what that means…" Zuko read out loud. He handed me the note and punched the wall. He then ran down the stairs and I followed. He got back into his car and I jumped in, the only thought in my mind, "I'm not losing both of them today." Zuko got to the cliffs, the only ones we had in town, and stopped the car. "Stay here. Please. I'm not losing you." He said firmly. "AANG!" He bellowed looking for his best friend.

I began to cry again. What has the world come to when Teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them are suicidal, or when they would go crazy for some drugs? What kind of society do we live in? I continued to cry for a while and then I noticed there was crying somewhere else too. I got out of the car, and began to look for Zuko. I found him close to the edge, crying softly. With tears in my eyes I pulled his hand, and brought him away from the edge. I wrapped my arms around him, and although it was awkward because I was a foot shorter than him, we both cried. As the sun began to set, I thought about the two people I lost that day. They were two of the most important people in my life. I loved them both so much, and now to think they were gone. The fact that I would never see Toph's mischievous smile, or the way Aang nervously blinked before a test. I would never hear one of their jokes again, and never be able to hold either in my arms. I didn't even get to say good bye to Aang. The worst part? I still can't find a way to say how I feel about that awful day. April 22nd was the day I lost two people I loved. If I could turn back time, I would be their life, their voice, their reason to be, I probably wouldn't have let this happen.

Even know 20 years after words, I still cry about the absence of my friends. At my wedding, Zuko and I both cried. His best man should have been Aang, and my maid of honor should have been Toph. We've been married 10 happy years, but on April 22nd no matter what we cry. Our children don't understand, and I don't think they ever will know why their names are Tom-Tom Aang and Kya Toph; it hurts too much to talk about. But maybe, it'll stop being so cold outside, so no more angels have to die.


End file.
